


Oh! Darling

by star_named_andy



Series: 1972 [8]
Category: The Hobbit (1977), The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: 1970s, 70s, 70s lingo, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Barduil - Freeform, M/M, Modernish, bagginshield
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-04-21
Packaged: 2018-03-25 03:14:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3794557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/star_named_andy/pseuds/star_named_andy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>‘He’s not coming.’ Thranduil thought, clutching the flowers in his hand with a broken heart. What he had feared most was becoming real.</p>
<p>Just as he was about to turn and retreat to his van in a pool of tears, the door clicked and Thranduil’s heart jumped. A light came flooding from the open doors that poured around Bard’s silhouette. As he stepped forward, his features became clearer; he was just as beautiful as Thranduil had remembered, if not more so.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oh! Darling

**Author's Note:**

> (Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, or any of its characters or content.)

_\--- Thranduil ---_

Three more weeks passed by with Thranduil making a point to visit Oakenshield Manor with Legolas every day and August was quickly coming to an end. Everyone was going on as normal by this time, but Thranduil was broken inside. The only words sent to him from Bard that Bilbo relayed for two weeks were: “Let him know all is well”. Bilbo mentioned that Bard had asked about Thranduil a few times, but that was it. No “tell him I miss him” or “tell him I love him”. Inside Thranduil kept telling himself it was over between them and that Bard wanted nothing more to do with him, but a small part of him was hopeful…and maybe in denial.

Thranduil had seen Bard almost every day for the entire summer and now that it was almost over, they hadn’t seen each other for three weeks. There were more complications with Bard getting an account and having the money sent over than anticipated, but when Thranduil finally got the news that Bard had successfully purchased his ticket home, he was both ecstatic and dreadfully nervous.

When the day came, Thranduil constantly paced around his entire house. He hadn’t gone to pick Bard up from the dock; he felt it was more of a moment he needed to share with his children. He didn’t want their reunion to be ruined if Bard didn’t want to see Thranduil. Hours passed by as Thranduil picked at his guitar, burnt incense stick after incense stick, washed and folded laundry, tended to the plants, and fed Legolas three meals with no phone calls.

As Thranduil called Legolas to the kitchen for dinner, he received a very odd look from his son which was honestly warranted.

“I can make my own stuff, you know.” Legolas said as he sat at the table.

“What, you don’t like what I made?” Thranduil asked innocently.

“No, it’s not that…you just never make this much food. Why don’t you just call him, dad? You’ve been waiting for like, a whole month just to talk to him.”

“He will talk to me if he wants.” Thranduil answered briskly and sat across from Legolas, picking at his food. The problem with that was, Bard didn’t seem to want to talk to Thranduil.

“Maybe he wants _you_ to be the one who talks first.”

Thranduil disengaged from the conversation topic and they finished their meal fairly quietly. After dinner, Thranduil swept up the dishes, scraped them all and began scrubbing them madly. Legolas finally had had enough and grabbed the keys to the van and pushed Thranduil outside, demanding he go to Oakenshield Manor and set things straight. There was no avoiding it because Legolas had locked the door from the inside and had taken Thranduil’s house key from his key ring. Instead of just sleeping in his van, which he debated for way too long, Thranduil plucked up his courage and a bouquet of flowers from his garden and cut through the night to finally come face to face with his love.

When Thranduil pulled through the gates, he sat in his van in front of the front doors anxiously. What would he say? Would Bard even come out to see him? If words failed him, would Bard understand? Could things go back to how they were? He thought back to a time where he thought he would never have another person so close to him that he could call his beloved. Now he was hiding away, thinking of the right words with a bouquet of flowers praying to the highest power that he and Bard could be happily reunited.

He finally coached himself out of the van and rang the doorbell. Bilbo came to the door and gave him a warm smile that hinted at Bilbo feeling a bit apprehensive about retrieving Bard. The door was closed again and Thranduil waited…and waited…and waited.

‘He’s not coming.’ Thranduil thought, clutching the flowers in his hand with a broken heart. What he had feared most was becoming real.

Just as he was about to turn and retreat to his van in a pool of tears, the door clicked and Thranduil’s heart jumped. A light came flooding from the open doors that poured around Bard’s silhouette. As he stepped forward, his features became clearer; he was just as beautiful as Thranduil had remembered, if not more so.

 

_\--- Bard ---_

Bard’s heartrate was already picking up in speed as he looked upon Thranduil who was really standing there in front of him in the flesh drowning in an all too flattering light. His eyes were large and puppy like with tremendous bags beneath them and he held a collection of flowers close to his chest. For a long moment, there were no words between them at all. Bard’s mind was thoroughly blank. Even after weeks of time apart, he wasn’t ready for this confrontation.

“Hi.” Thranduil finally spoke, breaking the silence and the corner of his mouth curved into a tiny smile. The smile quickly flickered away as Bard’s face remained unmoved. Thranduil held out the flowers and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. “These are for you, sweetness.”

Bard’s stomach twisted at hearing that nickname and he took the flowers mutely. He preened them for a moment.

“Are these from your garden?” Bard asked and Thranduil nodded quickly. “You look tired.”

“I haven’t been sleeping well lately.” Thranduil confessed.

“Yeah, I haven’t been either.” He said belligerently. The matter at hand was creeping up Bard’s throat like vomit.

“Tell me what’s going on…are you mad?”

“ _Of course_ I’m mad!” Bard exploded. His volume was suddenly out of control. “I’ve been mad for four weeks! What the hell happened, Thranduil? You _said_ it was safe! I trusted you to not put yourself in a dangerous, stupid position! I _trusted_ you!”

“I’m sorry, Bard. I am so _so_ sorry. I admit that it was dangerous and it was stupid-”

“Then _why the hell_ did you do it?!”

“I wasn’t thinking about how it would affect those closest to me, Bard. And that’s the horrible truth, I realize that.”

“Well, thank the lord! At least he _knows_ he was being an _inconsiderate_ _bastard_!”

“Why were you even there if you thought it was so dangerous?!” Thranduil demanded heatedly and Bard glared at him in disbelief.

“Are you honestly asking me that? You know _damn well_ why I was there!”

“If you cared about me so much, why didn’t you call me?” Thranduil lashed bitterly.

“I _couldn’t_!” Bard exclaimed and his eyes started to water. “I want to punch you and kiss you and kick the shit out of you all at once! How am I supposed to _talk_ to you like everything is back to normal? Everything _isn’t_ back to normal, Thranduil!”

“You’re right, things _aren’t_ back to normal.” Thranduil started steadily. “Things are going to be _better_ than they were because I’m not going to put you through that ever again, Bard. I shouldn’t have gone through with it if it made you worry and hurt you so badly and I know not to make that same stupid ass mistake again.”

“That doesn’t change how I feel right now!” Bard protested and his face felt like it was burning with fire. He huffed out a big breath, his throat hurting from how loud he had been _screaming_ at Thranduil.

“Then go ahead! Do all those things, Bard, I don’t care! If it will make things right, just do it all! Punch me, kick me, kiss me – anything!”

Without a second thought, Bard hurled his fist forward into Thranduil’s face. Thranduil cried out and stumbled back. He bent down with his hands covering his nose and Bard immediately felt greatly relieved, but also horrible. When Thranduil lifted his head, he moved his hands and revealed blood trickling from his nose and over his smile.

“Personally, I was hoping for the kiss, but this works too. Did that help?” he said.

“A little, yeah, but now I feel awful! Your nose is…I’m sorry.”

“No, _I’m_ sorry, sweetness.”

Bard stripped out of his denim button up and quickly pressed it under Thranduil’s nose. He lightened the pressure when Thranduil winced.

“I was hoping you weren’t wearing another shirt underneath. Damn.” Thranduil teased with a nasal voice and Bard grinned uncontrollably. “There’s what I like to see.”

“You’re a jerk.”

“Because I make you smile, or for other reasons?”

“I guess you’re not _so_ bad.” Bard reached up to kiss Thranduil’s cheek, but the sneaky blonde ducked his face away from the shirt and stole his lips. Bard initially wanted to pull away because of the blood everywhere, but somehow the blood didn’t seem to be such a hindrance. He sunk into Thranduil’s kiss and they both relaxed into each other, ultimately happy to once again be together. It wasn’t the most romantic reunion, but glamor was clearly the last thing they cared about in this situation.

“Do you still love me?” Thranduil asked as they parted and Bard smiled, dabbing more blood from both of their faces (at least the gushing had slowed).

“Of course I do, you big goof.”

“I wasn’t sure. That punch was pretty good. You sure do pack a wallop.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too…but I think we should get you inside and clean you up before we do any more kissing.”

“Not into the bloody scene, huh?”

“ _Thranduil_.”

“Kidding, sweetness.”

Bard led Thranduil right to the bathroom once they entered Oakenshield Manor and they both poked at Thranduil’s face with wet cloths. Thranduil winced continuously and Bard rattled off hundreds of apologies, but Thranduil kept putting on a smile and assured him that he was fine. Once Thranduil had been patched up as good as new, Bard happily brought him into the living room and kissed him on the cheek, showing everyone that all had been reconciled. The Oakenshields and the Bowmans rejoiced and Bilbo sucked them all into a giant group hug. Bard and the kids rode with Thranduil to pick Legolas up from Mirkwood so he could join their merriment, and he was more than thrilled to see his friends and Bard and to see his father smiling joyfully again.

They proceeded to rejoin Bilbo and Thorin at Oakenshield Manor and play a few rounds of charades and Risk before the kids headed upstairs for bed (when actually they all just cluttered in one room and watched movies with popcorn Bilbo snuck up until to them until they passed out). After sitting with the Oakenshields and blathering on for hours, the Oakenshields retired to their bedroom for the night and Thranduil and Bard both enjoyed a blithe laugh when they peered in on their mischievous children all tangled in each other and the blankets on the floor. And there was popcorn _everywhere_.

“Bilbo never misses an opportunity to spoil them does he?” Thranduil spoke quietly as he closed the door.

“That much is evident.” Bard agreed and Thranduil locked his arms around Bard’s waist (a secure gesture which Bard had admittedly missed). “It looks like I’m staying the night. I feel like I shouldn’t wake him.”

“Thorin and Bilbo _did_ say you were welcome to stay if you wanted.”

“Good…I missed you, sweetness. In more ways than one.”

“I missed you too, you big goof.” Bard said combing his fingers back through Thranduil’s silken hair. Thranduil sighed pleasantly and tilted his head into Bard’s touch. “The whole time I was mad I missed you…I missed your hair, your voice, your face - just _you_. It was very aggravating.”

“I’m sorry for being so great.” Thranduil teased and Bard had to contained his laughter, muffling it into an amorous kiss. He jumped as Thranduil’s fingers trailed down to his back pants pockets; he almost forgot how electric Thranduil’s touch and just his presence made him feel.

“Hey now,” Bard said leaning out of the kiss. “This hallway outside the room where our kids are sleeping is not the place.”

“You’re right, sweetness. Let’s go somewhere else.”

“But it’s been _such_ a long day. I’m tired. I don’t think I have the energy for you tonight.” Bard said hiding his grin as he leaned his head onto Thranduil’s shoulder. He was quite fatigued from travel and from emotional exhaustion, but he was sure he could muster the energy he needed to entertain Thranduil, or to be entertained.

“That’s alright, sweetness. We can just cuddle and fall asleep together. Maybe I’ll sleep better tonight with you in my arms.”

“ _Or_ you could just do all the work and _then_ we can do all the rest of that cuddling stuff.” Bard half joked and smirked at the vibration in Thranduil’s chest as he chuckled deeply in his throat. His hands relaxed limply in Bard’s back pockets.

“Oh, is that so?”

Bard clapped his hand over his mouth, hoping the surprised squeal that slipped out of his mouth when Thranduil heaved him over his shoulder hadn’t been too loud. As they descended down the stairs into the lower levels of the sumptuous, illustrious Oakenshield Manor that had given them their first meeting, Bard’s inquiries as to where exactly Thranduil was taking him grew louder (since there was no one down there that they could wake). Thranduil provided him no answers; he only whisked him outside and into the folded down back of his van with the added bonus of soft music playing in the background on the radio.

It had been so long since Bard had been touched that every brushing of their bodies was exhilarating, even through the bounds of their clothing. Normally Bard would complain about the setting, but this was no normal circumstance.

Thranduil surprisingly hadn’t made one snarky, cocky sex joke. He was clearly concentrated on the task at hand which was smothering Bard’s long untouched neck. Bard thought he heard something tear as Thranduil feverishly moved Bard’s shirt to uncover the ground he wanted to claim, but he paid it no mind. Bard breathed blissfully into Thranduil’s ear as his hands ran up and down his back. His overbearing warmth and his scent were soothing. In that moment, his head was filled with pictures of Thranduil: the first time they met, the second time, and every time after that. He hadn’t realized how dearly he’d really missed Thranduil while he was gone; he’d tried so hard to keep his thoughts of Thranduil at bay, and now he was safe in his arms and happy again. His heart thumped at the possibility of it all being a dream – not just that heated moment in the back of the van, but all of it.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you,” Bard managed through his moans, but Thranduil made no comment or acknowledgement of his words. “Sometimes I don’t even know if you’re real or not, Thranduil.”

His pants were so swiftly undone and discarded that he was taken aback and the look that Thranduil gave him was even more astounding.

“Let me show you that we and our love are real.” He spoke lowly and with a quick movement, his finger was wet, around his underwear and penetrating Bard’s long tightened entrance.

Bard’s back arched instantly, his hips bucked and he ground his teeth through the impermanent pain. It was nothing compared to the pleasure that followed as Thranduil easily remembered where his especially sensitive spot was. It was only one hit, and then another and another right into his sensitivities and Bard unleashed an extremely hot and pent up moan that warranted Thranduil plunging in another one of his slender fingers.

“ _D-Don’t stop_!” Bard cried out as he curled his fingers into Thranduil’s hair.

“I have to stop so I can _fuck_ _you_.”

Thranduil growled and Bard whimpered at how sexy he sounded. Thranduil pulled his fingers out slowly and savored Bard biting down on his lip. Thranduil lowered his head and gripped the fabric of Bard’s underwear and _literally_ _ripped them in half_ and the cloth fell away from Bard’s form.

Bard didn’t question where the bottle of lube Thranduil mysteriously presented had come from – he hadn’t been watching his every movement very precisely. Everything was sort of hazy at the moment. Thranduil sloppily slicked himself up and slipped his arms underneath Bard’s lower back. He lifted Bard and swung his legs over his shoulders, plunging deep inside of him as he was helplessly suspended in the air. Bard could only just barely reach Thranduil’s chest and scratch his nails down it as Thranduil’s lean hard on pounded into him fervidly. Bard felt weightless and his hand floated to his throbbing length and he jerked it as much as he could in his ecstasy.

“ _Oh my god_ ,” Thranduil panted as he watched Bard treating himself. A strong hand melded around Bard’s neck and gave it squeeze just hard enough to put Bard over the edge.

“ _THRAN_!” Bard cried and that was all he could manage before he came onto his stomach. He sprung up as Thranduil laid him back down. He took Thranduil’s ready length into his mouth and Thranduil moaned as Bard finished him off and swallowed. Bard licked the excess cum from his lips as Thranduil pulled away from his mouth. Thranduil pounced down on him, somehow still possessing what seemed like a significant amount of energy and kissed him profoundly. He pulled his hair over one shoulder and smiled very sweetly down at Bard, who was smiling very happily himself.

“What?” Thranduil asked, the gruffness gone from his voice.

“This is the song that was playing when we first met.” Bard huffed and Thranduil paused as he listened to “Revolution” by The Beatles playing faintly.

“It is?” he questioned.

“Yes…when you first pulled up when I was looking at the flowers and you dropped your keys.”

“It _is._ I remember now…hm. I wish it was something sweeter.”

“I liked the other Beatles song you sang to me…what was it?”

“Across the Universe.”

“Across the Universe…and what a universe it is that brought me to you.”

“We’re so mushy.”

“We implies both of us, so it’s partly your fault.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, my love.”

 

_\--- Thranduil ---_

Even though Thranduil’s favorite season was coming to a close, he felt on top of the world. He was no longer battling sour, unwanted and unpleasant emotions every day when he woke up. His moods were consistently better, and they were most pleasant when he woke up with Bard beside him.

Thranduil and Bard got the last drops out of summer with the kids; they went camping, they went to the beach, to get ice cream, and anywhere where they could stroll freely and idly under the heat of the sun in as little layers as possible. Soon fall would descend and the kids would be in school, creeping toward growing another year older.

Thranduil and Bard supervised Legolas, Bain, Sigrid and Tilda chasing each other in Thranduil’s splendid back yard from the back porch. Bard leaned into Thranduil and Thranduil kept his arm around him, rubbing his back from time to time.

“Why can’t it just be summer all the time?” Bard sighed and tipped his head onto Thranduil’s shoulder.

“If it were always summer, summer wouldn’t be so special compared to the other seasons.”

“Mm. Maybe you’re right about that…it’s been a crazy one.”

“It sure has been.”

“When I was in England, I went to visit my old house and it was gone.”

“I’m sorry, sweetness.” Thranduil said peering down at Bard who was staring intently out into the field where the children were rolling around.

“I think that’s part of why I forgave you so easily.”

“Oh?” Thranduil questioned curiously. It was very random, but not unusual at all for Bard to bring up things that he hadn’t been able to say previously and wanted to.

“When I saw that it was just gone...I was sad for a long time, but then I thought maybe it was a sign.”

“I believe in those kinds of things.”

“I thought you would. It was just like…I _finally_ left…and although the house carried so many memories, it also carried so much else; so much stress. The old girl was finally able to let go after we left, so I think it meant that it was time for us to really move on too with our new lives. I can’t really explain it perfectly, but the way I felt then when I had that realization…I just knew that I forgave you for anything I was mad about.”

“And you still punched me?”

“Just because I _forgave_ you didn’t mean I wasn’t still _mad_. _And_ you said I could.”

“You know, I was thinking about putting an extension on the house before winter.”

“Oh.” Bard said, taken aback at the sudden change in subject. “Oh, well what were you thinking?”

“Maybe just a couple more rooms on the end here. It wouldn’t take much space out of the yard, you know? For you and the kids.”

“What?”

Thranduil looked down and their eyes connected. Thranduil bared a smile.

“I guess that’s the informal way of asking if you’d like to come stay with us for a little while, or…forever. Whichever is cool with you.”

“Well, I…wow, I…Thranduil, that’s a lot. That’s a big deal.”

“It is. You don’t have to answer right now, but-”

“Would Legolas be okay with that?”

“Are you kidding? I mentioned it briefly and he made me promise to ask you. Of course, your little ones would have to approve as well.”

Bard smiled that charming smile that Thranduil could stare at for years as his gaze averted back to the children springing happily about the flowers and climbing in the trees.

“I have a feeling they’ll want to say yes too.” He said.

“So that’s a yes from you?”

“Yes.”

“Hey anklebiters!” Thranduil called and Legolas, Bain, Sigrid and Tilda all poked their heads up. “How would you all like to live here together?”

“What? Really?” Sigrid asked and Thranduil nodded.

“Yeah, really.”

“Hey, that’d be pretty cool!” Bain shouted, hanging from a tree.

“Let’s stay here forever!” Tilda cheered as she clung to Legolas.

“I love you, you big goof!” Bard grinned and jumped up into Thranduil’s arms. Thranduil caught him easily and spun him around as he announced wildly: “We’re movin’ in!”. Thranduil dipped Bard abruptly to snatch a precious kiss that would be just one of many more kisses to come. The future was brighter than it ever had been for the both of them and now their lives would be filled with much more embracing, kissing, love making, and adventure taking that would make up the perfect happily ever after.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Sadly, this is the end of my Barduil 70s journey! I loved writing this fic - it was both a pain and a labor of love. Thank you to all who read, and happy Barduil Big Bang! Find the Barduil Bang page on tumblr to see all of the other great fics and artwork created for this lovely event, made just for you shippers. <3 The art shown above is all credited to mysterymeat666 on tumblr and I can't thank them enough! The original post can be found here: http://mysterymeat666.tumblr.com/post/117048102375


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